Ref who blew Seahawks call is a CA BofA VP

Bankers have come in for a beating of late, much of it earned, but this is going a bit far.

Turns out that the replacement referee most responsible for that disastrously blown call in the Seattle Seahawks-Green Bay Packers game Monday is a vice president of Bank of America in California.

Lance Easley, who signaled the touchdown that wasn’t, has been with BofA since June 2011. According to his LinkedIn profile – confirmed by a BofA spokesman who said nothing further – he handles “personal business banking services, credit facilities and commercial lending to businesses $250,000 to $5 million in gross revenue” out of a BofA office in Santa Barbara County.

Before that he was a business banking specialist with Wells Fargo for three years, “marketing business banking products to the San Luis Obispo business community.”

Easley does have some sporting experience, including as president of a local high school basketball association, a referee at high school and junior college football games, and a recent graduate of the Stars and Stripes Academy for Football Officials in Salt Lake City, which does not provide training in NFL rules.

“Although Mr. Easley received three days of college football training at the 2012 SASA, the Academy does not claim responsibility for Mr. Easley’s successes or perceived failures as an official,” the academy said on its website Tuesday.